Set in stone
by scarlet.tearsx
Summary: Set directly after the GMG arc, Lucy has been having some confusing and down right terrifying nightmares that soon lead to a powerful new threat. Working alongside her now enlarged team she is doing everything she can to ensure that the threat is eliminated and those she loves stay safe. Freed x Lucy pairing eventually, possible lemons /maybe./
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! So, I'm still taking a break from my other stories although I am working through the next chapter of Unrequited but I came up with a** ** _massive_** **burst of writers block . Anyway I figured it was about time I started writing for one of my favourite pairings! As always this will be focused on plot first and foremost, the relationship comes along with it and some of the chemistry we see in the first is purely friendship based :)**

 _I_ _do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, the plot however is my own n.n_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _Darkness tainted her vision as she sat up with a fright, she could distinctly hear screaming coming from an unknown area but the voices were all too familiar and she felt her stomach drop when she finally understood who they were coming from, especially when she heard her own name torn from one of her best friends, the lion spirit she adored so much screaming out for her to run and she did. She allowed her legs to carry her as fast as they could but she wasn't retreating, no her friends were in pain and they needed her now more than ever and she wouldn't abandon them, she'd sooner be dead before she stopped trying to save them._

 _She'd been so stupid to believe that she'd been capable of handling herself that she'd left her keys defenseless, her movements too sloppy to prevent them from being taken, a mistake she wouldn't soon repeat. Rounding the nearest corner she ran down the darkened corridor and continued to run towards the screams, her heart shattering when she bust into a room of white only to see Loke and Virgo impaled by an ancient looking weapon and she fell to her knees. Somehow she just knew that they wouldn't be returning to their world, that this damage was permanent and looking around the room at all her other fallen friends she broke. Shattered into a million pieces when a tall man, who appeared to almost shimmer, walked up to her and placed a hand under her chin, harshly pulling her face to stare at him._

 _"It's time Lucy, wake up!"_

Heaving forward she clawed at her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks like a dam that had just been broken, and let the pain and sadness take her. It had just been a nightmare, a cruel and horrible nightmare that she'd been having for the past few months but lately she'd been venturing further into the nightmare, getting closer and closer to seeing the end that was yet to come. The only problem with them though, other than the obvious, was when she had the nightmare she slept walked and made her way outside onto the street, each time getting further and further away from her apartment. Now that her sobs had called to a mere sniffle she looked around to find that she was in a part of Magnolia she'd never been to before, she'd made a point to avoid it due to the fact all the people who lived there had a lot of money and she really preferred to ignore her financial situation.

Now however she sat on a lit side-walk, thankful for the fact she'd gone to bed wearing her normal clothes on the odd chance this happened, when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Instantly her hand went to Loke's, ready to attack first and ask questions later when she stopped herself as standing before her was Freed Justine, leader of the Raijinshū. In all honesty, she wasn't that surprised Freed of all people lived around here, he appeared to be a responsible man and taking S-Class jobs with Laxus all the time would definitely pay well but what had surprised her was the fact he was standing in the street wearing his pyjamas, his sword securely gripped in his hand while he stood there starting at her in concern. Quickly she attempted to wipe at her eyes, an action that didn't go unnoticed and she quite literally heard the panic is his normally calm voice as he spoke.

"Are you injured Lucy-san? Has something unfortunate happened to bring you this far away from your home at this hour..?"

All she could do was shake her head at him, she was fine other than the gaping hole that felt carved into her chest but she knew now her keys were safe, each of them glowing warmly under her touch as proof and she finally found the strength to stand but not before the Jutsu Shiki Mage was at her side helping her.

"Thanks Freed, I'm fine… I just had… Well it doesn't matter, could you please just tell me how to get back to Strawberry Street and then I'll be out of your hair."

"Nonsense, you'll come inside until the sun rises. I couldn't possibly allow you to venture home at such an early hour of the morning, who knows what's out there…"

Eyes widening she allowed her head to bow at him, his tone held authority without question and considering how dark it was she'd simply oblige. With that he held out his arm, which she happily took, and allowed him to lead her to his house. It was a rather large Victorian style house, it had a historic look to it but she could tell it was in near perfect condition and as they passed through the wrought iron gates she allowed the tension she'd held to leave her. She may not have known Freed well but she knew that he was no fool and there would undoubtedly be protective Runes placed around his property. Ever since she'd been having the nightmares she had felt as though a presence was watching her and it made her uneasy, Mavis knows what could happen while she was asleep nowadays. Watching as he opened the door she still kept her arm linked with his, she didn't know his home and she knew that he'd take his arm back when he decided it to be necessary, so with that in mind she stepped through the double door entry way with him and into the darkness of his foyer.

Removing her shoes, as he did too, they silently made their way to the kitchen and she moved to sit down at the bench as Freed flicked on the light switch.

"Thank you for this Freed, you didn't have to take me in until its daylight but I really do appreciate it. Perhaps if you lent me a book to read until then and a place to sit, you could go back to bed and I could read some before leaving to go home."

He looked rather baffled at the blonde as she spoke, he'd quite literally just found her crying on the sidewalk at three in the morning and she expected him to go back to sleep... It was preposterous and in all honesty he felt a little hurt, did she believe he wouldn't have been worried over the incident? Staring at her intensely to examine her expression he then let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead, he couldn't get a read on her right now and she was normally an open book around the guild.

"I'm sorry but I can't just do that… Once I'm awake I'm afraid that's it, I can't return to sleep but aside from all that, I would like to know what exactly you were doing on the sidewalk at this hour... Did someone harm you?"

It was now the blondes turn to sigh, guilt struck her for having disturbed his sleep and then a fear rose in her chest, she had told no one of the sleep walking, well aside from her spirits but no one that would actually say anything to another person. She did suppose that she owed him an explanation though and being a Rune Mage if she made him give his word then he couldn't break it.

"No one hurt me Freed and I'm sorry for waking you but I can't tell you, not unless you give me your word that no one else will be informed about it."

At this intrigue struck him, the guilt was clear on her face which surprised him considering he didn't really believe all that many people cared for him or any of the Raijinshū but even more so that she knew giving his word was absolute and she'd worded it so that he couldn't deceive her by means of writing it instead of speaking.

"Very well but I can't give you my full word, if I believe you to be in danger at any point I will have to inform Master Makarov, other than that however no one else will ever be made aware you were here if you do not wish, that is aside from Laxus being able to smell your scent…"

All she could do was nod, those weren't the ones she had to worry about knowing and as far as she was concerned they kept to themselves about business that wasn't there's to tell. Taking in a deep breath she finally mustered up the courage to tell him what exactly was going on, or at least what she knew.

"O-kay… Well I guess it started a little over a month ago, after Lisanna came back Natsu started trying to hang around both of us but because he was always with me on jobs, he decided to spend his nights with Lisanna. Which I had thought was perfect, he always annoyed me to no end when he'd break in and steal my bed from me but it turns out he was what was keeping my nightmares at bay… Not long after he stopped coming around did my nightmares start up again, at first it was the same ones I'd had as a chills, full of my mother death and fathers negligence but as the days grew on the dreams took a turn. Now I just have the same dream over and over, it's like I'm stuck in a loop but each time a bit is added and I get more clues to what's going to happen."

Tears now flowed freely down her cheeks as she recalled the pain each nightmare had brought her and she was surprised to find that Freed had moved to place a hand on her shoulder, it was evident that he wasn't used to consoling crying people but the gesture was much appreciated.

"I've seen my spirits, some of my best friends, killed over and over. I have ten zodiac keys and I watch them die every single night now, I've witnessed murder repeatedly over 200 times and not once has it gotten any easier to bear witness to. Each time I get a better look at their killer, a man with white hair that's near translucent, his skin so pale that it seems as though he's actually shimmering from the light particles and he's after me, trying to get me to give him the answers he needs but I never know what the questions are... That's where my nightmares are up to at least but around the same time I started sleep walking, at first I'd just wake up around my apartment but I slowly ventured further and further away and well now I'm here in your kitchen like a crazy person."

Now sniffling as she tried her best to compose herself she looked up to see his eyes burning with worry, she had never seen Freed look like that before. She waited patiently for him to speak again, she'd said all she needed until she heard his response but she could physically see the gears turning in his mind trying to make sense of such conundrum. Finally when he did speak though she felt herself pale slightly.

"Lucy that is very abnormal in nature, unfortunately I do think we should inform Master Makarov of what is happening, of course he cannot do much to prevent such nightmares but he may have answers. If you would wish otherwise I will not approach him but if you continue then you must give your word that you will tell him, also may I ask why you are not alerting your team to this? It may be good to have someone with you at night."

With a sigh of defeat she responded.

"You're probably right in telling Gramps but I can't tell my team, they have their own problems and besides all that I am entirely capable of looking after myself."

Nodding his head in understanding he then looked towards a closed door that grabbed her attention, she'd normally done fairly well at reading people but Freeds expression rarely gave away anything other than perhaps confusion at times. Looking back to her with the same expression he stood up and straightened his attire before he ran a hand through his hair, he was clearly nervous about something and she was going to ask if he'd reconsidered her leaving when he held out his hand and she hesitantly took it. Standing to her feet she allowed for him to silently pull her to the door she'd just been staring at and reached over to push the door open, leaving the blonde standing there in awe, it wasn't a large room but bookshelves lined all four walls aside from the space where her desk sat. Moving into the room she spun around giddily before turning to him with amazement clearly written on her face, hopefully he was showing her this so she'd get to read some and not to play a game with her but then again Freed wasn't one for games so perhaps she would get to read some.

"You have so many books, this… This is amazing Freed!"

Walking behind her into the room his face turned red upon her compliment, it was not often that someone complimented him based on his collection of books, of course his team and Laxus were very grateful for the library he had when it came to the more difficult jobs but he could tell the idea of reading made them annoyed to say the least so to see someone sharing his love for them brought a smile to his lips. He had brought her into the study so that they could do some research regarding her dreams, having Magic flowing through you and keys that could be taken made it _very_ dangerous for a Mage to wander around sleep walking through the town but seeing her enthusiasm he wondered if she'd ever actually leave his house, not that he minded her rather sensible company given the circumstances it might be nice to befriend someone that also had a passion for knowledge. As long as her team didn't barge in and destroy everything.

"It could do with being slightly larger, however my reason for bringing you in here is that I was wondering if you'd like to research your nightmares? Not the specifics of course, I believe that would be specific to you but in regards to why you are sleep walking, it may have happened in the past to another Mage."

Her mind was still reeling at the amount of books that currently surrounded them, her eyes alight with curiosity as her fingers itched to take hold of as many her arms could carry and dive into them, his question brought her back to the reason for her being there in the first place however and she found herself shaking off the surprise at someone _offering_ to do research with her. Looking for any sign of amusement on his face, as if he might be playing a game with her, she found none and nodded her head enthusiastically. She'd done what research she could at the public library but she had yet to go into the guilds library, fearful that her team would barge in and find out what she was looking up.

Walking around the room she grabbed anything she found that related to dreams and/or celestial magic and was incredibly thankful that Freed had organized his collection by genre and alphabetical order, if she had a collection of books like he did she wasn't sure if she'd ever leave her house and she now understood very much so why Levy always carried at least five with her. She watched as Virgo came out on her own to place her Gale Force Reading Glasses in her hand before disappearing with a bow once more as she took a seat beside the Rune Mage and began reading through as many Tome's as she could, the pair taking as many notes as possible as they fell in the comfortable silence beside each other.

Hours passed without realizing and before long the sun was shining in the sky and it was now around ten in the morning, somewhere in between then and now the blonde beside him had finished all the books she had on her side and had fallen asleep on his shoulder not long after. The contact was rather strange to him but considering what she'd told him about Natsu keeping the nightmares away he couldn't bring himself to move her, just in case he was doing the same thing for her. Being so late in the day, well for him of all people, to have not yet arrived at the guild he couldn't say he was surprised when he heard his front door opening to signal his teams entrance but he chose to ignore them and continued on with his reading, they'd have to wait until he was finished the page at least to gain his attention.

It didn't take long for their leader to find him, his nose directing him to where he currently sat and he unceremoniously yelled through his house, he knew that he'd instantly be question as to why Lucy's scent was currently so strong but he couldn't help but smirk to himself, his back to where his team now stood in his study's doorway, as he heard them all stop dead, Bixlow and Evergreen gasping as Laxus decided to speak up.

"Oi Freed! … _Well_ , what's going on here?"


	2. Chapter 2

**So I'm actually updating this a lot earlier than I originally intended but I was pretty happy with the response I got from the first chapter! Now with the update schedule, my life is pretty busy with uni and whatnot so I was hoping to update maybe once a month. I know this can be annoying waiting but this is just a hobby after all, there may be exceptions like this update or others if I feel I have enough written that I can post another!**

 **Thanks for the positive reviews so far and I hope you like the chapter :)**

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, the plot however is my own n.n_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 ** _"_** _Well, what's going on here?"_

 ** _Freeds POV_**

Placing an arm around the blonde so she wouldn't fall he half turned to eye his team and let out a sigh, so much for keeping them in the dark about this but as it was he was sworn to secrecy by Lucy and he would not break her trust, or his own rules for that matter, so he simply decided that Laxus could know what was going on as she had given him permission but unfortunately his team members would have to leave the room. They would not like it, they did not keep secrets from one another but he did know they would accept it if he gave them a semi-valid explanation, so as he spoke he shot Laxus a pleading look so he would understand just how serious he was.

"I do apologize for this but I need to speak to Laxus-sama alone, there is no discussion about this I'm sorry but I have given her my word that out of everyone only he and Master can know."

"Alright you heard him, you two out. After we talk with blondie we'll see if you two can be told about anything but for now, you do not utter a word to anyone, understood?"

He watched as his friend's expressions changed into one of hurt and anger directed at him but they left nevertheless and the second they were out of his study, probably off to watch TV and wait until they were allowed back in, he put up a sound barrier and ignored the questioning look Laxus was giving him. He felt incredibly protective of the blonde that he still had his arm around, he couldn't exactly say why but it may be due to the fact she had forgiven all of them so quickly when they didn't deserve or earn it back from her or maybe it was the fact that he knew how much the darkness could consume someone if they allowed it and he wouldn't allow one of the kindest people he'd met to fall to such a fate. Honestly he hadn't even the faintest idea on how to begin telling the other blonde about the situation he'd found himself in but he knew that Lucy should be awake for it at least and begrudgingly shook her shoulder gently but with enough force to rouse her.

Seeing her waking he smiled softly and was glad to see that she didn't look troubled this time, no nightmares from what he'd seen but his thoughts quickly died when he noticed the dark blush covering her cheeks and she looked down sheepishly, her hands coming up to rub her eyes before she opened them once more to find the light shining directly on her, causing her to squint.

"Sorry for using you as my pillow Freed, what time is it?"

"No apology needed, you did need the rest. Lucy-sa-"

"Seriously Freed, just Lucy, no need for honorifics."

His words were cut off as the blonde stared at him intently before he nodded and continued, still ignoring the looks that Laxus was giving them, considering their backs were to him currently, and he nodded his head in Laxus' direction as he spoke, directing her attention to the other blonde as her mouth silently fell into an O shape and she nodded as he finished.

" _Lucy_ , I'm afraid we'll have to be informing someone of your problem sooner than we believed, Laxus-sama has been waiting patiently as I did not want to inform anyone without you present. Would you like me to explain or would you prefer to?"

"Um, well you can if you don't mind."

The next twenty minutes were filled with Freeds explanation of everything that had happened from his point of view and then went on to tell him what she had explained and his lack of findings on such occurrences based on what he could find in his library. He could see the disapproval in Laxus' eyes as he spoke of her not wanting to tell anyone about the situation but nothing was said to her as she leaned of Freed for support while he spoke, surprising both males as neither one of them had ever considered it to be something either would witness. Freed however could understand considering he was the first one she had confided in about her nightmares, it still came as a shock that she was so comfortable around him though. At the end of hit all he stopped to stare at Laxus, hoping that perhaps he may have some answers for them but he simply shrugged before staring between the pair once more.

"I ain't got a clue what to do about that but would it be alright if the team was there when you tell the Old Man? I know you want to keep it all hush hush but I don't like secrets dividing my team, they'll be sworn to the same secrecy as Freed here."

The Rune Mage looked between the two blondes and felt a wave of relief wash over him when she slowly nodded her head at him, he hated not telling his friends the truth but his word was one of the most important things to him and he would keep it no matter what so he was thankful to the blonde and squeezed her shoulder appreciation before lifting his arms to stretch and standing up. Once he was standing he held out a hand for Lucy to take and watched as she too stood up, Laxus picking himself up from the table he was leaning on as Lucy kept her hand in Freed's, once again shocking both men as they walked out of the study to greet everyone else.

Walking out, Lucy's hand now on Freed's upper arm she stood slightly behind him to avoid everyone's stare and he made sure to stand closer to her. He still wasn't sure of her behaviour, or why she seemed to be hiding from his team, if she had forgiven him why not them?

 ** _Lucy's POV_**

Ever since he'd woken her up she'd felt a feeling of apprehension, she had clung to the Rune Mage for reasons she didn't know but she felt an unspoken bond forming with him, he was the very first person she had confided in that wasn't one of her spirits and due to his obvious need to not betray her by waking her up she'd trusted him more than she cared to admit. So the casual actions that would normally be reserved to her team now also included Freed, within a matter of hours he'd gained her trust and became one of her friends not just her Nakama. She'd been nervous about talking to Laxus but that had gone smoothly thanks to Freed saving her yet again that day but the prying eyes of his team as they walked out made her want to hide.

She had forgiven all four of them long ago for their mistakes, she could see the guilt they held and that was enough for her move past the incident and that certainly wasn't her problem now, neither was the fact Laxus wanted them to know what was going on, it was only fair really as long as they kept it to themselves. What the issue was currently was that she felt weak, she had felt utterly defenceless for weeks now and had been too proud to ask for help and now the strongest Mages in the guild would know her secret, they were sure to think of her as weak after they found out and it was the last thing she wanted. Freed had shown no such thoughts and Laxus had seemed more annoyed than anything but she honestly didn't know how to feel about Evergreen or Bixlow, she didn't know them and still had to wait to find out what their reactions would be and so she continued to stick to Freed like glue and was enormously comforted that he was allowing her such liberties.

They all stared at her as she stood half behind Freed, even Laxus was looking between the two of them like what he was seeing was the most ridiculous thing he could've imagined but they said nothing and once more Freed held out his arm for her which she took gratefully and they left his house without a word, Evergreen, Bixlow and Laxus walking ahead as she fell back slightly with the Rune Mage.

"Thank you for this Freed and I'm sorry if me being so close is making you uncomfortable, I just… I don't know if I'll be able to face everyone on my own, Laxus must think I'm pathetic for not being able to control my body whilst asleep and I'm sure Evergreen and Bixlow will think the same."

Feeling him stop beside her she did the same and turned to see that his face was twisted in confusion, had she said something wrong? Did she somehow offend him? He must have seen her stare because he cleared his throat as she raised an eyebrow at him and he let out a sigh before shaking his head.

"I'm very much so aware of our past indiscretions however I do doubt that any member of our guild could perceive you as pathetic Lucy, might I remind you that no one has control of their body when they're asleep that's the entire reason we do it. We need to lose that control in order to rest and restore our energy, my team mates will think no less of you because of this."

Standing there shocked at his outburst, well outburst in Freed's case considering she didn't think she'd heard him speak so much in her life than what she had today, she didn't even notice that the others had stopped and were waiting for them to catch up nor did she notice when he took up her arm once more and guided her to where they stood. No one said a word as they approached, they simply fell into step as they continued on their way to the guild and the blonde was still just allowing the Rune Mage to guide her, barely having noticed that they were no longer standing where they had been not far from his house and were now out the front of the guild hall. She probably would have stayed that way as well, she was too consumed by trying to figure out what he meant by their 'past indiscretions' and what it had to do with anything when she felt someone shaking her slightly, a deep chuckle coming from the person doing so before she blinked a few times to see Bixlow in front of her with a goofy grin on his face.

"-splayer, cosplayer come on snap out of it we're here now."

Snapping out of her thoughts she saw that his words rung true, they were currently standing in front of the guild hall, Bixlow more amused than the others as his babies mimicked his every word whilst flying around the small group. She was still holding onto Freed for support and was definitely the reason she had avoided walking into anything the entire time but he was glaring at Bixlow that made her think he was going to hit him when Evergreen beat him to it, whacking him over the head with her fan as she yelled at him.

"Don't be so rough with her you moron, she's not a doll!"

Looking between the two she couldn't help but smile, she hadn't expected Evergreen to stand up for her but it was more to the fact that they reminded her a bit of Natsu and herself, which is why she was actually entirely unfazed by Bixlow shaking her as he had; she'd grown quite accustomed to Natsu doing that to wake her up, as now she slept deeper than her entire team having adapted to their crazy sleeping habits. Looking around once more, having noticed Laxus was still with them, she shot them all a confused look, why didn't they just walk in with her? Or done so after she'd snapped out of it, it looked as though they were actually waiting for someone or something to happen and so she cleared her throat.

"Um, why are we just standing out here?"

She watched as they all seemed to tense before looking in her direction, their gazes somewhat hurt as she waited expectantly for an explanation and she began to worry that she had something funny on her face, which wouldn't have surprised her considering she was still wearing the clothes she'd fallen asleep in and hadn't really had the chance since to check her appearance. Feeling Freed shift his weight beside her she turned to face him, if no one else was going to tell her then maybe he would considering how open they had been with each other, even if it was just smaller things no one else would've paid attention to for his part and she had been right as he let out a sigh and finally spoke.

"We were waiting for you, to see if you were okay with entering with us, we'd understand if you'd prefer to wait until we go in or if you were to enter first and we wait."

Instinctively her hand tightened on his arm, why would they think she didn't want to enter the guild with them? The thought actually had her doubting herself and whether or not _she_ was the problem and they didn't want to be seen with her, there really wasn't anything else she could think of that might be a problem.

"Well I don't know what gave you the impression that I wouldn't want to enter our home with you all, unless you'd prefer to not be seen with me, I have no objections to doing so whatsoever…"

They all seemed to breathe after that, the tension leaving them as they stared at her somewhat dumbfounded, she really didn't understand it at all. Although she could most certainly understand if Freed didn't want to be seen with her holding his arm like this, she could tell the other three were looking at them weirdly but in her eyes it was the most natural thing in the world and she assumed from his normal formality and mannerisms that he felt the same. It appeared they had both been raised in wealthy homes or at least been taught the _'proper'_ way to behave around individuals you respected and were your guests in anyway. She'd been on the arms of many men when she had been required to visit other estates or having had a date for the night of a ball, there was nothing sexual or romantic in the action in _her_ eyes, it was simply a show of respect and while she was using it as the comfort of his presence she knew no one else would see it that way. She could already see Mira falling over with hearts in her eyes as she mumbled about the potential children and inwardly shuddered, so before moving an inch she placed a hand on the man in questions arm and eyed him curiously. She didn't want to lose the contact and resolve he was currently allowing her but she wouldn't disrespect him by putting him in an awkward position without asking, she knew how their guild was.

"Um Freed, are you okay with me being like this still? I know it doesn't mean anything _romantic_ to us but Mira and my team may think otherwise, I don't want to inconvenience you by them reading into it..."

She watched as Freed's cheeks darkened, clearly picturing the idea she'd just implanted in his mind about their fellow guild mates while his own team looked rather confused. Had they really thought something was between them and just had the decency to not shout it across the room like her own team would've? Looking to him once more she began to slowly remove her hand from him, his silence in her mind was his agreement for her to detach herself from him but the action seemed to cease any train of thought he may have before his hand closed around hers to keep it in place. A soft smile pulled up the corners of her mouth as he did and she nodded her head whilst bracing herself for what was to come as she took a step forward, the others following her and Freed as they pushed the doors open.

A few people looked in their direction but seeing Laxus was enough for them to know who had arrived, they didn't even notice the Celestial Mage until a chair came flying at her head and a rapier sliced it in half before it was reduced ash by Laxus. She looked at Freed and Laxus thankfully as they stood there looking increasingly pissed off before she heard Mira squeal in delight and her own best friend shout across the guild.

"Oi Luce, why are you huggin' Freed?"

"She liiiiikesss him"

The only thought running through her mind in that moment was _'I'll kill that damn cat._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Here's the next chapter lovelies, I hope it's alright ~ :)**_

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, the plot however is my own n.n_

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 _"Oi Luce, why are you huggin' Freed?"_

 _"She liiiiikesss him"_

 _The only thought running through her mind in that moment was 'I'll kill that damn cat.'_

 ** _Lucy's POV_**

She watched as the entire guild fell silent upon her best friends question being shouted across the guild hall, both her and Freed's face heating up to the fullest as Happy added in his comment before she turned to Laxus with a pleading expression on her face. She knew there was no escaping her team mates but she also knew that right now was not the time where she would deal with them, there were more pressing matters to adhere too and she honestly was feeling a little dizzy from how exhausted she'd been growing lately, part of her was considering stealing Freed simply so she could sleep without nightmares, it was like the presence of another human kept them away and so far Freed was the only person aside from Natsu to allow her such comfort. Apparently Freed was noticing her exhaustion too and removed his arm from hers to slip around her waist, causing everyone else to hoot and holler at their proximity whilst Laxus levelled a glare at everyone. Were they really all so interested in her potential love life that they couldn't see how close she was to collapsing?

Before she could think any further on the matter though she heard Laxus speaking up and strained her ears to hear him, that wasn't right though was it? When Laxus wanted to be heard he made sure everyone heard it, so why was _she_ having trouble hearing him? Looking to Freed she saw him staring at Laxus, he could clearly hear what Laxus was saying and so could everyone else from the irritation on their faces but she still couldn't, instead she chose to focus on the floor in front of her. The wood grain was awfully intriguing, so many patterns, she could probably find pictures in them like she did when Natsu and her decided to stare up at the clouds on a bright sunny day. She had no idea now that a lot of people were staring at her, she was still too busy staring at the ground, in fact some of them were speaking to her but just like with Laxus she didn't hear a word, all she could hear were the thoughts running through her head.

Feeling a hand on her forehead she looked up to see Freed and smiled softly, he was so nice, normally when people touched her in any way she ended up getting hurt in one way or another, not many people in their guild knew how to be _gentle_. She didn't understand his actions though, the back of his hand was to her forehead like he was checking her temperature but she didn't feel sick or actually, maybe she did, her head seemed to spin in that instant as she looked at him and although she couldn't hear it she knew her voice came out a near whisper as her legs gave out.

"Freed, _help_."

Then everything went black.

 ** _Freed's POV_**

To say he'd been embarrassed by the attention, all eyes on he and the woman he was currently supporting, would have been an understatement. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by her of course, or even the implications that her best friends had already dished out, only a _fool_ would want to deny such implications considering the person Lucy Heartfilia was but it was more to the fact that no one ever paid him this much attention, not those who weren't part of his own team. It had entirely washed away the earlier irritation of them nearly getting hit with a chair but from the look she had shot Laxus, he could tell that she was needing to avoid dealing with the attention even more so than he currently was and much to his, and everyone else aside from the blonde in his arms, surprise he gave it and sounded increasingly like his grandfather whilst doing so.

"Listen up brats, Blondie is going to be hanging around the Raijinshū for a while, no ifs or buts on the matter. She will explain it to you when **she** is ready, so do not question her about it, this is not permanent but any job requests involving her are to be ran through me first. Got it?"

He watched her from the corner of his eye as his friend spoke with a tone that simply dared someone to challenge his authority, his grandfather may not be ready to hand over the guild to Laxus of all people just yet but everyone knew if he was speaking for Lucy then there was a good reason and even Natsu seemed to understand, although their master was watching the entire scene unfold he knew that their next task would be to speak with him. He couldn't help but feel uneasy as Lucy didn't look up again though, he had assumed she was avoiding everyone's gaze but now it seemed that she was entirely oblivious to everyone and looking quite pale. Naturally his hand came to rest upon her head to check her temperature and much to his surprise he found her as cold, if not colder, than Gray and instantly worried. Something was very wrong.

Everyone send to notice the gesture and the guild fell into silence as his grip tightened around her waist, this was certainly abnormal, it wasn't until her head snapped up and she seemed to falter for a second before her whispered plea filled the hall that he fell into action. Almost predicting her bodies plan his knees instinctively bent to allow his other arm to scoop her legs up from behind her, her body now limp in his arms as he looked around desperately for Wendy. The fear that ran through his bones unnerved him entirely, they barely knew each other despite the fact they were nakama and yet he felt as though her life depended on his success as he rushed over to lay her on the table in front of Wendy and moved to grab Natsu, that kind of cold could kill if she didn't get rid of it soon.

He did it all without a single word uttered, as if he _knew_ the perfect antidote and perhaps he did, he was quite knowledgeable on medicine but it also may just be due to the fact she thought he could do something.

"Freed-san, it's not working... I can't even get a read on her, it's... It's like she's not alive but I can hear her heart beating."

It looked as though everyone had been stabbed in that instant, the thought of Lucy being dead kill them inside, every single person who came into contact with her felt the pull she had. It explained why so many enemies wanted her, she was the epitome of kindness and the good in her heart shone like a beacon of hope, those who were also good being drawn to its warmth and those who detested the light wanting nothing more than to destroy her very being. Placing his hand on her wrist her flinched at how cold she was and once more took up Natsu's hand, ignoring the strange look the Salamander was giving him as he placed the Dragon Slayers hand on his neck and started to bark out orders as if he were in charge, which according to Lucy in his mind, he was.

"Natsu, heat up your hands so they're just slightly warmer than my natural temperature and then hover them over Lucy, she needs to be warmed up. Everyone else that is not Laxus, Natsu or Wendy needs to move upstairs now, Bixlow... I need you to try and animate her."

Everyone gasped and he could see Gray fighting to get past Erza, what he was asking was preposterous of course, if Bixlow controlled her soul then he could do as he pleased with her but what no one seemed to notice was the look of pure dread on the Seith Mage's face as he removed his mask. The Rune Mage had no intention of causing anyone to have such a forced interference in their body but he also had no intention of doing so, he would not put one of his oldest or one of his newest friends through such emotional torment by doing so but the process had to be done in order for his theory to work. He had read about this no longer than an hour ago whilst Lucy had slept and he could only hope that he was right otherwise he honestly had no possible idea on what to do.

"Bixlow listen to me, I want you to _try_ to animate her body, do not actually do it. You are to stop right before you reach her soul, okay?"

The tension the Seith Mage held seemed to lessen at his explanation but he still stood there hesitantly.

"Freed, I'm not sure if I can stop it there... I've never tried."

"Well you won't know until you try, we all have faith in your capabilities Bixlow."

He listened as their nakama all broke out in agreement, their support for his friend's capabilities caused both males to nod as he moved forward with his Figure Eyes glowing green. He knew that Bixlow had animated living souls before, it was what he preferred to call his 'dark days' but Freed of all people understood the reasons that could have pushed him over that edge, to control a person's soul and have then bend to your very will was a powerful burden to hold. The very idea of doing so made him cringe, to hold another person life so delicately in your hands to the point where they almost appeared a lifeless drone if need be was a terrifying concept and he knew well why people feared the man's power but he still couldn't understand why they feared him, he would not be a Fairy Tail Mage if he didn't abide by their morals. His face paled slightly though as the Figure Eyes deactivated and Bixlow himself looked like he'd just witnessed a massacre.

"Her soul, its not there... There's a few pieces of string holding her there, keeping her alive, but when I tried to follow it just went too far. I've never seen anything like it before."

He smiled, he'd been correct but they'd wasted far too much time and it was of the essence so without thought he moved his hair to the side and did the one thing he could to try and bring her back.

"Dark Écriture: Pain!"

Everyone began screaming at him then but he ignored them as Evergreen and Bixlow kept them at bay, they hadn't the faintest idea what he was doing but they knew he would only go to such extremes when necessary but it still wasn't enough, she was still too far for him to reach her properly and he dropped the spell to turn and face his leader, who looked slightly horrified at the scene before him, or at least horrified for Laxus.

"Laxus, electrocute her."

"What?"

"I said electrocute her, shock her repeatedly. Wendy can heal her body after but you need to do it."

"No, I ain't gonna use it against her. You know the deal Freed."

"Damn it Laxus, if you don't do it now she won't be coming back. Just do it!"

He knew they all thought he'd lost it, truly fallen off the deep end as he practically growled at Laxus of all people but her life was in his hands and he'd be damned if he was going to allow her to stray so far they couldn't bring her back. She had given him her trust and as a Rune Mage and her nakama he felt it was his duty to ensure he kept her safe, he would not lose one of the first people who had trusted him entirely since the Fantasia fiasco, if he did not do this she would die. Maybe not today, or even next week, but her body would remain lifeless until the final tendril tore. He watched as he looked between Laxus and Wendy, the pair in silent agreement before lightning struck the blonde.

"Again."

Once more electricity coursed through the blonde and he again cast pain upon her, this time she was closer.

"Again!"

"Freed it'll kill her!"

"Wendy, be ready. _Again_."

He watched as his friend looked upon breaking point as his magic flowed through the Celestial Mage, he knew this was hurting him and he understood why but it was the only way. Commanding everyone was difficult, especially as Natsu stood there still heating her body as they all but tortured his best friend, but it was necessary and they would soon see that. The second the magic ceased he held up a hand for Wendy to stop as he sent forth a burst of pain once more, he could hear her soul screaming for it all to stop but she was there, just a little further and she'd be connected once more.

 ** _Five._**

 ** _Four._**

 ** _Three._**

 ** _Two._**

 ** _One._**

"Wendy, now!"

 ** _Lucy's POV_**

She was aware of one thing, she was floating and nothing appeared to exist, her only thought being that she had surely managed to die in the most ridiculous manner possible as she attempted to find anything in the mist that currently surrounded her, heaven should have been nicer than this. Endless voids with nothing but cliffs and mist were not appealing in the slightest but she could _swear_ that she could hear voices and instantly tried to increase her speed, it might be her parents and she wouldn't risk losing them but she soon found that the familiarity was not her parents but in fact the monster that haunted her nightmares and she almost screamed in fear. She was looking down at him though as if she didn't exist and from the looks of things, he had no idea she was even there, it was the perfect opportunity for her to get the drop on them but she knew deep down that what she would hear would not be nice.

"Lucy Heartfilia will perish whether it be by my hand or yours, I have no need for her just bring me the keys; they're all I want. I hope I don't have to remind you that discretion is of the utmost importance here, no one can know of this or me."

"Yes my lord."

By now she was shivering as the man spoke, his body still shimmering in the darkness as if his presence in this world was causing a distress, trying to tear him back to where he truly belonged but still he remained strong and she decided that now was as good a time as any to attack, that is if she knew how to descend or had any form of weapon with her, so instead she looked around the area and tried to determine where exactly she was. From the looks of things they were deep underground, regardless of the fact she was floating up in the sky she could apparently see straight through walls and she had to wonder what in the hell was going on exactly. Nothing else mattered however when a pain vibrated through her body, 'causing her to seize up as her screams filled the air, it appeared that even her enemy had heard her screams as they stared up and right through the spot where she hovered with confusion evident on their faces but all she knew was that she _needed_ it to stop.

As soon as it begun however it seemed to disappear and she was left panting while she tried desperately to follow where the attack had come from, there was a familiarity to it but she had no idea who her attacker was, she could barely remember who she was right now. Having only moved a small distance she was surprised to feel the electricity running through her once more and she once again screamed out in agony, why were they doing this? She hadn't done anything wrong! As soon as it stopped however this time a new pain followed, a bone chilling ache that caused her to double over as tears streamed down her face, her body filled with fear as she silently begged for it all to end but she could hear something else now, familiar voices full of their own fear and love that caused her to crawl closer to it. Who were they? What did they mean to her?

Suddenly she was over the guild hall, watching as Freed screamed at his best friend to electrocute her, why would they want to hurt her? They were her nakama weren't they? Looking around the room she saw all her friends on the second floor, some of them were crying as they stared down but no one, not even the master tried to stop them and Natsu, well Natsu was standing by her body like her personal heater and watched the entire thing without a word. It occurred to her that they were trying to save her from something, otherwise Wendy wouldn't be there ready to heal her and the look on Laxus' face made it look like he was about to throw up but they all remained. As what she hoped was the last of the pain that would course through her she felt the need to return to her body, like the lightning that was now crippling her was pulling her back to the body like a tether. It wasn't until Freed tuned to her body once more though that she finally felt the full effects of everything that was being done to her and she began to tremble, the heat from Natsu and Laxus causing her to feel like she was going pass out, if that were at all possible for someone who was floating like a ghost a few seconds ago, but the pain that now reverberated through her core as she felt the dryness of her throat ache when she was finally able to call out her pleas to those currently torturing her.

"Stop, _please_ stop!"

And they did, the pain disappeared alongside the heat as small hands appeared over her and sent relief into her ever aching body, slowly she felt her consciousness taking over and the soothing motions of Wendy's hands made her smile. Opening her eyes slowly she winced as everyone cheered happily before she levelled a glare at Freed, she was _very_ thankful for all that he had done, she would be paying him back in one way or another for the pain that he had instilled upon her.

"You and I will be having a talk."


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry for how long this took!**

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, the plot however is my own n.n_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 ** _Lucy's POV_**

Seeing the Rune Mage blanch at her words she let out a chuckle before she felt Natsu diving on top of her and wheezed against the weight from his body, that is until Laxus pulled him up by his scarf so that she could breathe and she shot the other blonde an appreciative smile before grinning like a madwoman at Natsu and grabbing his hand to help her into a sitting position. It was then that Evergreen and Bixlow stood aside allowing the entire guild to begin rushing at the blonde and she flinched when a gust of wind stopped them all in their tracks, only to be replaced by a rather annoyed, and terrifying, looking Wendy who had stepped in front of her patient, her glare cutting into every one of them like a knife.

"Lucy-san is in need of rest and you will all refrain from bothering her, she will be moved to the infirmary where Freed-san will need to stay with her and _one_ other person at time may also be in there, she has the right to decide who that will be."

Everyone flinched at the young healer, she may be small but they knew better than to disobey what she said, especially considering it was for the wellbeing of one of their guild mates and Lucy could do nothing but smile at her. She still remembered when they had first met the shy and clumsy girl from Cait Shelter and a swell of pride arose in her as she realized that girl was long gone, in her place stood a strong and confident young slayer with more potential than she had seen in a long time. She was sure that Wendy would grow into an absolutely magnificent Mage, even more capable than she already was but it didn't stop the frown moving her lips as she listened to her orders.

"Wendy, why does Freed _need_ to stay with me exactly? I'm sure he has better things to be doing…"

"Until we know what just happened and how to prevent it from happening again I'm afraid he has no other choice. We came very close to losing you Lucy-san."

She felt terrible, she had already unloaded her burden on him and now it was simply increasing, of course she couldn't say she'd object to his company, he was wonderful to talk to and could be quiet when necessary but she still couldn't shake the feeling that she was putting far too much on Freed's shoulders. He had his own life and more than likely his own problems to deal with, he didn't need to deal with hers and the baggage that came along with it.

"Lucy, it's okay. I will be happy to stay with you, I'm sure one of my team members could retrieve some items from my home for me after we talk to Master Makarov."

Turning to face the Rune Mage she felt her face soften, it really did confuse her how everyone could be so distant from the Raijinshū when they had all been so nice to her so far, of course she had yet to properly speak to Bixlow and Evergreen but she was sure they would be just as kind as Freed and Laxus had been, in their own ways of course. His words brought a fresh panic to her mind though as she recalled what she had seen and felt her chest tighten, that man; he wanted her keys. Instantly her hands went to her belt and froze, they were gone, her keys were gone and she felt sick to her core until a golden light shone through the room and strong arms surrounded her that she almost immediately relaxed into.

"Oh thank god, Loke!"

"Princess, we were so worried! We couldn't feel your soul..."

Her sobs filtered through the room as Loke lifted Lucy off the table and cradled her to his chest, she was so relieved to have him there with her but she was also full of fear at the idea someone was after her keys which only caused her to cling to her faithful Lion for support. She hadn't even noticed that he was carrying her upstairs and into Master Makarov's office as the entire guild looked on in shock, the only ones who appeared unsurprised by the actions were Laxus and Freed who followed behind them without so much as uttering a word.

 ** _General POV_**

Everyone stood there shocked for a few moments before all attention was directed at Natsu, who was currently taking the stairs to Makarov's office two at a time, his curiosity and concern for his best friend stopping his already poor judgement as he ignored his team mates calling out to him but as he reached the door and attempted to grab the handle a purple rune wall flashed up that stated no one but the Raijinshū or anyone the Master gave permission could enter. Growling in frustration the Dragon Slayer instantly started bashing on it, complaining about being her teammate when suddenly the door was replaced with a very pissed off Laxus but Natsu continued to bash into his chest, while Laxus stood there unmoving.

"Go join Titania kid; she doesn't have to tell you shit."

"THAT'S BULLSHIT LAXUS! SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!"

Good or not Laxus still looked like he wanted to punt the Salamander into the nearest cave and seal him in there for all eternity given the noise he was making and considering his enhanced senses, well no one could blame the man; they all had to deal with Natsu's overwhelming loudness with normal senses and still ended up with a headache. Barely visible waves of Lightning washed off of the blonde now as he scowled at the pink haired man and raised a fist that would've knocked him out cold had a dainty looking hand not blocked his path, following the hand you could see a very annoyed looking blonde who even in her weakened condition looked like she could wipe the floor with both men given her expression before she took a breath and turned to Laxus with a soft smile.

"Laxus, it's okay, let me talk to him."

"Whatever..."

Fortunately for the men looks couldn't kill and with a roll of his eyes and a sigh the Dragon Slayer walked back into his Grandfather's office but made sure to keep with an arm's length of the rather unsteady looking Lucy.

"Natsu look, I want to tell you and I'm really sorry I haven't told you about it all sooner but right now I really have to talk the Master about what to do. Freed, Bixlow, Evergreen and Laxus can help me and I know that they are strong enough to protect themselves."

Sensing the argument that was about to occur she held up her hand, something she did when she wasn't finished and the nicer way of letting Natsu know to shut up, she gave him her best grin and placed the hand that was held in front of her on the wall beside her for support. Looking out at the guild from where she stood it was obvious the entire guild was watching them and a certain Iron Dragon Slayer seemed to be enjoying her partners annoyance far too much, that was an easy fix and a rather good distraction however, much to Gajeel's dismay.

"I know you're strong but what about Happy or Wendy or Carla? They're all strong in different ways to you and I will not risk them getting hurt, we don't even know who is behind this and right now I need people who aren't as close to me as you are. I promise you that, unless Master needs to tell someone other than Laxus or the Raijinshū for help, you will be the first person to know what's going on. Besides... It's your job to keep everyone else's spirit's up and Gajeel is looking at you like you're an idiot, so if you tell me he needs a good kick don't you think..?"

"Hell yeah! I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

Laughing at how quickly his mood changed everyone watched as he smashed his flame engulfed fists together, most sweat dropping at how easy it was for Lucy to get her way when anyone else would've been arguing till they were blue in the face, when said blonde flashed him a deadly serious expression that seemed out of place with her rather sickly sweet voice, it looked terrifying and Natsu seemed to catch on pretty fast.

"Oh and Natsu, try not to overdo it..."

"A-ye sir!"

With that Natsu bounded down the stairs with Gajeel in his crosshairs and Laxus appeared directly behind her once more so he could tell Bixlow and Evergreen to join them and then, surprisingly, helping the blonde back to her seat snuggled up on the coach beside his best friend, the Rune Mage looking entirely at ease for once as he spoke to her in awe at her actions.

"That was impressive; I've never seen anyone talk Natsu down like that..."

"Natsu may act like an idiot but he simply chooses ignorance, everything hurts just a little too much for him to see things as we do. He trusts my judgement and that's all he needed to hear, he was trying to protect me is all."

"From us..?"

Everyone could hear the hurt in Freed's voice as he spoke and the blonde openly winced, looking up at him with widened chocolate brown eyes and a pained look on her face, clearly not liking question one bit. She made sure to look around the room, making eye contact with everyone once to show how serious she was before staring back at Freed with a soft expression.

"From Laxus… He was speaking on my behalf, which is absolutely fine, but Natsu knows I hate it when people make decisions about me without consulting me. He had no idea that Laxus and I had spoken at your house, he was just making sure that it was what I wanted and not what everyone else just decided on..."

Seeing all of them visibly relax, including Makarov, the blonde appeared to be debating with herself what to say next, it was clearly important to her but the expression on her own face made them all tense up. She knew that everyone had a long way to go before they could be a happy family again but Natsu was the reason she trusted them, the reason she could cuddle up to _Freed_ and feel nothing but the comfort he was providing her with, to be so close with Bixlow who she had fought _twice_ , Evergreen who had turned her to stone and Laxus who had pretty much demanded she date him and then shock her with a Lightning Lacrima. They had all caused her pain in the past and just like with Gajeel and Juvia she could sit with them all and feel nothing but safe, all thanks to Natsu's reassurance of them.

"You do realize that Natsu was the person who made me see that even though you guys made a mistake, and even though I didn't even really know you, you were still our family and we _trust_ family… I know that you guys have to learn to trust us as much as everyone else needs to learn to trust you again but Natsu was one of the first, if not the very first, to forgive and trust you all. So believe me I do understand why you'd think he doesn't trust you but you're wrong."

At that they all appeared to be shocked, Natsu the 'idiot' had been the first person in the entire guild to trust them and suddenly the reckless Dragon Slayer didn't seem as annoying, their tolerance for his antics had just sky rocketed and they all seemed to look at Lucy like she were an angel that had just given them everything. Which it was in their eyes, she had given them acceptance and knowing that both she and Natsu trusted them and considered them family meant that one day they might actually get the rest of Fairy Tail's trust back.

"N-ow that, _that_ is out of the way I think we should talk about what happened… How on earth did you know what to do Freed? I still don't even know what that was…"

"Oh of course, well, perhaps we should start from the beginning so that everyone knows what's going on..?"

Nodding she gestured for him to retell the story, bracing herself for his teammates reactions but much to her surprise they looked kind of scared for her, Bixlow knew all about having the ability to control people but he had never been on the receiving end and he had to admit that it didn't sound pleasant and as Lucy turned to gauge Makarov's reaction Freed continued on...

"You see it appears that what has happened to Lucy is she's seeing the future, well no I apologize not **_the_** future but a possible outcome of the future, Lucy has been able to see into the enemies plans somehow and each time she doesn't sleep and uncover more of said potential future it tries to capture her while she is awake. Clearly because she didn't dream whilst she was with me it tried to take over her consciousness and as a result her soul, or astral body, left her body to where I can only assume it got taken to wherever these dreams might take place. It is very dangerous for your soul to leave your body like that, unless it's a direct result of your magic, it can lead to death because people stray too far from their bodies and get lost, which is why I drew Lucy back with pain. It was dangerous but necessary given the situation..."

They all appeared to just stare at both Freed and Lucy as he spoke, fear written across all their faces except for the blonde herself as she just clung to the Rune Mage, seemingly unsurprised in his explanation but wracked with terror that her nightmares might become a reality and she unknowingly began to dig her nails into Freed's arm. Loke had returned to the spirit world once Lucy was safe and she had given him direct permission to listen in on their conversation so he could relay it directly to the Spirit King but everyone could see how much she needed him in that moment.

"So how do we help..? We can't just leave cosplayer to deal with it herself, so what do we do?"

Evergreen and Laxus nodded in agreement before looking between Master Makarov and Freed, they held the answers to what was needed to be done but before anyone could even respond Lucy did the last thing they expected and handed her keys to Freed, looking at him like a lost puppy. The green haired man sat there looking quite shocked himself as to why on earth she was giving him something so precious but then she explained herself and they all visibly relaxed, yet again, as the Rune Mage smiled softly and nodded.

"Freed, could you please do something with my keys? I need them to be safe, so they can't get taken from me."

"Of course, it would make the most sense to have them protected."

Nodding in agreement with him the blonde rubbed her hand over her face and they all saw how tired she looked from her life of late, it wasn't a look of pity they were giving her either, more one of concern about wanting to simply make things easier for her. Sitting in silence for a few minutes now, each one of them seemed to be deep in thought over the dilemma, none of them had been faced with anything like this before and it seemed as though the best course of action would to be keep it between the people currently occupying the office and to simply let it play out until they had more information. Not something that sit well with any of them except perhaps Lucy, knowing that her friends would be in less danger this way was a relief but it still didn't help her.

 ** _Lucy's POV_**

Sighing she wanted to growl as minutes passed by and they still sat in silence, she was too frustrated, here she was being attacked _again_ and she had no proper means of defending herself or any real information to go on. It's not as though she could go asking around about men that _shimmer,_ and not in the sparkly way that makeup up made people shimmer, the kind that made it look like his body was somewhat translucent. Standing up despite the fact Freed tried to urge her to sit back down, she began to pace back and forth in Master Makarov's office, chewing on her fingernails as she muttered under her breath to herself about possibilities. Laxus having been the only person able to hear her properly was looking at her like she was speaking in different tongues, the pure shock from how far intelligence ran was astounding to him and yet the blonde was utterly blind to it as they all continued to watch her. Her mind was conjuring up ideas out of nowhere, from some weird version of thought projection so he was never visible in person to maybe she was just imagining the whole thing and as for her keys, she was sure that it was just another grab at power, that's what they _all_ wanted when they wanted her keys. They were mistaken if they thought she had all of the Zodiac Keys however and most people generally wanted them all, with that she felt her blood run cold and moved over to Master's desk without asking and activated the Lacrima.

"Oh hey blondie, how ya—"

"Sting, you need to come to Fairy Tail right away and bring Yuki with you, do not ask me questions, she's in danger… Just come, now."

She watched as the Lacrima lit up and the blonde she had in mind came into view, his normal grin plastered on his face as he winked at her and tried not to look surprised but the second she cut him off he was all business, say what you want about the man, protecting his friends came first and for that she had to feel comforted. Yukino was her friend, the two had grown close after the games and for that she was glad, it was nice to have a Friend who understood her magic properly and she could tell that Yukino had felt the same way. Which meant that the fact she was in danger only made Lucy panic more, even more so than she was about herself, her Spirits and Yukino would come first in her eyes. She watched as Sting turned to talk to someone, Rogue she was guessing, before turning back and nodding at her.

"We'll be there tomorrow morning, we're bringing Rogue and Minerva with us."

"Good."

Disconnecting from the call she then turned to see everyone staring at her, looking at her as if waiting for an explanation and she blushed a bit at the fact she had just taken over the Masters office without asking. It didn't matter though because she had to call Sting on a Lacrima she knew would be secure and hopefully some explanation of her thoughts would help them, either way Yukino needed to be aware of this and while she wasn't all that thrilled over the idea of seeing Minerva again, it was good to know Yukino had strong friends at her back. Running her hands through her hair now she grimaced a bit at how much of a mess it was and smiled gratefully at Evergreen when she pulled a hairbrush out of her bag and the blonde began to speak as she pulled her hair back into a high pony tail.

"I don't know anything about the man, his body shimmers so I haven't been able to get a good look at him but... he intends to kill me and then take my keys for himself, that much I'm sure of and with that I can assume that he wants Yukino as well. Whatever his purpose is, he will want all twelve Zodiac Keys rather than just ten, he may not know that Yukino has the other keys though and is simply focusing on me first. I'm aware that we aren't exactly best friends with Sabertooth but Yukino is my friend and likely a part of this, they need to be here..."

Looking mainly at Makarov for approval he nodded and she let out a sigh of relief before turning to the others, it was a lot to take in but with two of the strongest guilds in Fiore looking into this, she had every confidence that they would succeed and keep her friends safe.

"That's all well and good but what about Lucy? It sounds like these dreams need to happen but it isn't like we can leave her alone if she's sleep walking all over town…"

Everyone turned their attention to Evergreen who spoke and they all nodded in agreement while the Celestial Mage visibly frowned, she was a grown woman for goodness sake and she didn't need babysitters around the clock. This wasn't about her pride however, it was about her Spirits and keeping them safe from whatever it was that was after them so she would follow most orders without question, she could find her independence again when everyone was safe.

"Lucy will stay at my home, there is a spare room for her to take as her own for the time being and I will add extra barriers to the room itself. If she needs it, she will have myself to assist her if attacked."

"Thank you my boy, is this okay with you Lucy..?"

Listening to Freeds offer she felt herself feeling a little better, it would be easy to stay with Freed, they liked the same things from what she had seen so far and he didn't seem like the type that would constantly be asking her questions, well maybe he might ask her questions but they would probably be about what was happening and not anything overly invasive. With that thought in mind, and the fact she'd be getting her own room, she nodded at Master while smiling at Freed, if she could live with her team more often than not then someone like Freed would probably be the best housemate she'd ever had.

"Very well, all of you go about your day as you had planned with the exception that you are accepting a temporary member into the Raijinshū."

Nodding at the Master they all walked out of his office, Makarov making beeline for the bar in obvious need of some hard liquor with his grandson not far behind him while Freed once more linked his arm with Lucy's in case she felt too weak to walk on her own, Wendy would more than likely be furious that she was up and about but it wasn't as if she had ever been an easy patient to look after. Moving over to where they all normally sat, Lucy took a seat beside Freed and tried not to feel like an intruder, she had pretty much invaded their lives and now they were her personal body guards. It only furthered her resolve to be friends with them however and as Evergreen and Bixlow took a seat beside her she smiled at them weakly and bit her lip a little before speaking.

"Evergreen, Bixlow... I'm really sorry about keeping you in the dark at first, it wasn't right of me to ask Freed to keep that from you, I hope you can forgive me and that we can be friends."

Beside her she felt Freed rubbing her back and savoured the soothing motions as she stared at the pair across from them, she really didn't want there to be any animosity between them and they seemed to agree as they both nodded their heads, Bixlow rolling his tongue out of his mouth while Evergreen examined her nails and shrugged. Lucy was pretty good at reading people and she may not have known them well but she could tell she had hurt their feelings, that the way they handled such a hurt was to act as if it didn't bother them, she often did the same thing but with a smile.

"No worries Cosplayer! Ya told us now."

"I agree, it would have been nice if you had included us but I suppose there's no harm now that you've made up for it."

A small, genuine smile cross both their faces and in turn the blonde mirrored them, she was forgiven, maybe not entirely but the foundations were there and that's all that mattered because she would show them that she was a good friend. Opening her mouth as if to speak she let out a small squeak of surprise when Virgo appeared sitting on the table beside her, shocking Freed, Evergreen and Bixlow too, but she leaned forward to hug her anyway.

"Princess, I have gathered all of the things you would require from your home, I will keep them with me until you need them."

"Oh, Virgo! You scared me… Thank you, did Loke tell you where I will be staying..?"

"Yes, big brother has informed me of your arrangement with Freed-san

Smiling at Loke's efficiency she nodded and kissed her friend on the cheek, Virgo was always looking out for her in the smallest of ways and she always made sure that she knew how much she appreciated it, there was nothing she wouldn't do to protect her friends.

 **N/B: I'm SO sorry for my inactivity on here, at first it just started off as life liking to torture me but then I just got lazy and lost motivation to write for a while . I know this chapter wasn't exactly exciting but hopefully the next one will be a little better, I'm writing it now so** ** _HOPEFULLY_** **you guys don't have to wait too long for it.**


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